Earth Science 7- Antarctica/ Australia/ New Zealand Period 1
Contents
- 1 Antarctica
- 2 Regions:
- 3 Latitude:
- 4 Longitude:
- 5 Average Elevation:
- 6 Highest Spot:
- 7 Lowest Spot:
- 8 Large bodies of water:
- 9 Major topographic features:
- 10 Bordering Oceans:
- 11 Weather at McMurdo Station:
- 12 Climate Zone:
- 13 Geology
- 14 References:
- 15 Links:
- 16 Australia
- 17 Regions:
- 18 Latitude:
- 19 Longitude:
- 20 Average Elevation:
- 21 Highest Spot:
- 22 Lowest Spot:
- 23 Large Bodies of Water:
- 24 Major Topographic features:
- 25 Bordering Oceans:
- 26 Climate Zones:
- 27 Highs and Lows:
- 28 Rainfall:
- 29 Average Monthly Temperature:
- 30 Rocks and Minerals:
- 31 References:
- 32 Links:
- 33 New Zealand
- 34 Regions:
- 35 Latitude:
- 36 Longitude:
- 37 Highest Spot:
- 38 Lowest Spot:
- 39 Average Elevation:
- 40 Large Bodies of Water:
- 41 Major Topographic features:
- 42 Bordering Oceans:
- 43 Average Monthly Rainfall:
- 44 Average Monthly Precipitation:
- 45 Average Monthly Temperature:
- 46 Climate Zone:
- 47 Geology
- 48 Minerals:
- 49 Rock Types:
- 50 Mineral Resources:
- 51 References:
- 52 Links:
Antarctica
Earth Science 7-Global Regions Index
Regions:
Queen Maud Land,Graham Land,Wilkes Land,Marie Byrd Land,and Victoria Land. [3]
Latitude:
90 degrees north [4]
Longitude:
0 degrees east [5]
Average Elevation:
7,000-8,000 Ft. [6]
Highest Spot:
Vinson Massif: 16,066 Ft. [7]
Lowest Spot:
Bentley Subglacial Trench, 8,333 Ft. below sea level. [8]
Large bodies of water:
Ross Sea, Weddell Sea, Amundsen Sea, Southern Ocean, [9]and the Onyx River. [10]
Major topographic features:
Ross Ice Shelf, Transantacrtic Mountains, Prince Charles Mountains, and the Ellsworth Mountains. [11]
Bordering Oceans:
The Southern Ocean [12]
Weather at McMurdo Station:
Average Monthly Temperature:
-15.119 degrees Celsius [13]
Highest Monthly Temperature:
-13.692 degrees Celsius [14]
Lowest Monthly Temperature:
-20.908 degrees Celsius [15]
Average Monthly Precipitation:
0.665 of an inch [16]
Climate Zone:
EF, ice cap, perennial ice. [17]
Factors that Affect Antarctica’s Climate
Antarctica is generally mountainous with elevations ranging from 6,600 Ft. to 13.200 Ft.. Because temperature decreases with altitude, Antarctica’s elevation is a factor of why it’s so cold. Another factor of Antarctica’s climate is that Antarctica lies south of 60˚ latitude, where it’s difficult for the sun’s rays to reach Earth. Plants (or absence of) are another factor of Antarctica’s climate. This is because Antarctica is a desert (due to Antarctica containing cold, dry air) and the definition of desert is any barren land with very little rainfall, extreme temperatures (hot or cold), and sparse vegetation, so even vegetation (or lack thereof)can help determine Antarctica’s climate. Even the waters surrounding Antarctica play a role in determining Antarctica’s temperatures and precipitation. The Southern Ocean, an ocean bordering Antarctica, is home to the Antarctic Circumpolar Current, the most powerful current on Earth, which flows east completely around the Earth in a great circle just to the north of Antarctica. This current tends to bring cold water to the south, near Antarctica, and warmer water to the north. Also, because water cools slowly and heats slowly, it will keep cool because Antarctica is generally freezing and the Antarctic Circumpolar Current brings cold water to the already cold water. The cold water will also affect the climate of Antarctica because one, the water is surrounding Antarctica, which is basically a island made out of ice, and two, because of sea breezes and land breezes etc. [18] However, ocean currents that keep the waters cold don’t just show up by themselves; prevailing west winds “drag” ocean currents, primarily westerlies, along beneath them. And why do the winds head toward Antarctica? Because Antarctica is in a low pressure zone and winds spiral out of highs and into lows. Low pressure also means that Antarctica is very cold and dry, and that affects the climate a great deal. [19]
Geology
Minerals:
Quartz veins, beryl, tourmaline, garnet, coarse mica, iron ore, copper ore, molybdenum [20],cobalt, chromium, manganese, uranium, platinum, gold, and diamonds [21] are thought to be found under Antarctica's ice.
Rock Types:
(Mafic granitoid) Precambrian igneous, and Precambrian metamorphic rocks can be found in central Antarctica and the Prince Charles Mountains, and Permian and Triassic sedimentary rocks can be found west of the Transantarctic Mountains. Undated red sandstone can be found along the coast of Wilkes Land and George V. Land. Antarctic bedrock containing detrital zircons, erratics, and recycled microfossils can be found in the Prydz Bay, Wilkes Land, Ross Sea, and Marie Byrd Land sector [22].
Mining Resources:
A treaty protecting Antarctica has prohibited mining for 50 yrs in the 1959 Antarctic Treaty [23].
References:
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ay.html
http://www.srh.noaa.gov/jetstream/global/climate_max.htm
http://school.eb.com/all/eb/article-9109381?query=Antarctica&ct=null
http://search.proquest.com/docview/104980260/135082B249310463061/2?accountid=14063
http://search.proquest.com/docview/281430250/1350AE6D1AB3784CEB5/1?accountid=14063
Links:
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ay.html
http://www.srh.noaa.gov/jetstream/global/climate_max.htm
http://school.eb.com/all/eb/article-9109381?query=Antarctica&ct=null
http://search.proquest.com/docview/104980260/135082B249310463061/2?accountid=14063
http://search.proquest.com/docview/281430250/1350AE6D1AB3784CEB5/1?accountid=14063
Australia
Regions:
Western Australia, Northern Territory, Queensland, New South Wales, and South Australia. [24]
Latitude:
27 degrees south. [25]
Longitude:
133 degrees east. [26]
Average Elevation:
1,000 Ft. [27]
Highest Spot:
Mount Kosciuszko, 7,350 Ft. [28]
Lowest Spot:
Lake Eyre, 49 Ft. below sea level. [29]
Large Bodies of Water:
Murray River, Darling River, Murrumbidgee River, Lake Eyre, Gulf of Carpentaria, [30] Timor Sea, Coral Sea, Tasman Sea, and the Great Austrian Bight. [31]
Major Topographic features:
The Great Barrier Reef. [32]
Bordering Oceans:
The Pacific Ocean and the Indian Ocean [33]
Climate Zones:
The northern parts of Australia are tropical climates, varied between tropical rain forests, grasslands, and part desert. It is ruled by hot sinking air, of the subtropical pressure belt, which moves north and south seasonally.
Highs and Lows:
Seasonal highs and lows range from well above 50 degrees Celsius, to below 0 degrees Celsius.
Rainfall:
The monthly average of rainfall is 4.13 in.
Average Monthly Temperature:
High: 28.6 degrees Celsius. Low: 12.84 degrees Celsius.
Rocks and Minerals:
Australia has a wide variety of rocks and minerals, throughout its landscape. In the north, there is bauxite, iron, and copper. there is also some iron in the south, and some bauxite, in the very southwest. Also, across the nation, there are a couple of oil deposits. In the very south and southeast, there is uranium, silver, coal, lead, and zinc. There is also gold in the southwest.
References:
http://school.eb.com/all/eb/article-9110544?query=Australia&ct=null
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/as.html
http://www.mapsofworld.com/world-mineral-map.htm
Links:
http://school.eb.com/all/eb/article-9110544?query=Australia&ct=null
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/as.html
http://www.mapsofworld.com/world-mineral-map.htm
New Zealand
Earth Science 7-Regions Earth Science 7-Global Regions Index
Regions:
North Island and South Island. [34]
Latitude:
41 degrees south. [35]
Longitude:
174 degrees east. [36]
Highest Spot:
Aoraki-Mount Cook, 12316 Ft. [37]
Lowest Spot:
Pacific Ocean, 0 Ft. [38]
Average Elevation:
6,000-7,000 feet [39]
Large Bodies of Water:
Tasman Sea, [40] Waikato River, Lake Taupo, [41] Foveaux Straight, Cook Straight, and Tasman Bay. [42]
Major Topographic features:
Volcanoe Edmont/Taranaki, Volcanoe Ruapehu, Volcanoe Nuguaruhoe, Volcanoe Tongariro, and Aoraki-Mount Cook. [43]
Bordering Oceans:
Pacific Ocean.[44]
Average Monthly Rainfall:
4.34 inches.[45]
Average Monthly Precipitation:
4.1 inches [46]
Average Monthly Temperature:
High- 19 degrees Celciuis Low- 12.5 degrees Celcius [47]
Climate Zone:
cfc, mild with no dry season, cool summer, and year around equally spread rainfall [48]
Factors that Affect New Zealand's Climate
In New Zealand the elevation is mostly a little above sea level, despite a few mountain tops. This elevation causes the temperature to stay at a hot temperature. Another factor of New Zealand's climate is that New Zealand lies north of 60˚ latitude, where it’s easy for the sun’s rays to reach Earth. This makes the climate of New Zealand warmer. Because New Zealand is in a low pressure zone and winds spiral out of highs and into lows, it affects the temperature a lot. Low pressure zones means that the climate is humid and warm. Because New Zealand is surrounded by water, the island has many sea breezes from all directions. These sea breezes circulate cool air into the climate. The topography of New Zealand causes there to be very diverse climates throughout the region. Some areas are barley above sea level, while others are above 12,000 feet on the peeks of mountains. This means that temperatures can vary a lot. In a valley the climate could be almost 80 degrees and just a mile east could be a mountain with snow at its peak. The island's surrounding winds are prevailing north westerlies. Because the weather in New Zealand is mostly warm and dry, there is a big diversity of plants that grow in New Zealand. Also because there is a good amount of rain there, the plants grow easily. Most of New Zealand is surrounded by the East Australian Current. [49] This current moves warm water in a clockwise fashion down the coast of Australia and New Zealand. This current brings warm weather and water to the island. [50]
Geology
Minerals:
New Zealand has abundant resources of coal, silver, iron ore, limestone and gold. It ranked 22 in the world in terms of iron ore production and 29th in gold production. The total value of mineral production in New Zealand was $1.5 billion in 2006 (excluding oil and gas). The most important metallic minerals produced are gold (10.62 tonnes), silver (27.2 tonnes) and titanomagnetite ironsand (2.15 million tonnes). A 2008 report estimated that the unexploited resources of just seven core minerals (including gold, copper, iron and molybdenum) totalled around $140 billion in worth. Cumming, Geoff (6 March 2010). "Miners press to enter the green zone". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 24 March 2010.[52]
Rock Types:
A great proportion of the southern part of the North Island is formed of rather soft Tertiary rocks. The rocks are very similar in character throughout the area: blue-grey sandstone or mudstone, commonly known as "papa". They form a very characteristic topography of steep slopes and sharp ridges, reflecting the easily erodible nature of the rock. Harder rock types, such as limestone, stand out prominently, particularly in Hawkes Bay and the Wairarapa. [53]
Mineral Resources:
Some towns that have very abundant mining resources are Huntly, Rotowaro, Waihi, Ohai, and Kaitangata.[54]
References:
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/nz.html
http://school.eb.com/all/comptons/article-9276082?query=New%20zealand&ct=null
http://www.worldclimate.com/cgi-bin/data.pl?ref=S41E174+2100+93434W
http://www.climatetemp.info/new-zealand/wellington.html
http://oceanmotion.org/html/background/wind-driven-surface.htm
http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/view.php?id=15366
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mining_in_New_Zealand
http://data.gns.cri.nz/geoatlas/text.jsp
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mining_in_New_Zealand#Mining_towns
Links:
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/nz.html
http://school.eb.com/all/comptons/article-9276082?query=New%20zealand&ct=null
http://www.worldclimate.com/cgi-bin/data.pl?ref=S41E174+2100+93434W
![[51]](http://www.google.com/imgres?q=new+zealand+geology+map&um=1&hl=en&safe=off&sa=N&rlz=1C1TSNF_enUS448US448&biw=1366&bih=667&tbm=isch&tbnid=IHHX1OlqlqeJaM:&imgrefurl=http://www.otago.ac.nz/geology/research/general_geology/maps/nzgeolmap.html&docid=_bqB2dnww6RnNM&imgurl=http://www.otago.ac.nz/geology/images/NZ-IGNS.jpg&w=300&h=428&ei=cQlLT5TSGaWesQLcovjqCA&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=600&vpy=123&dur=947&hovh=268&hovw=188&tx=85&ty=132&sig=105070524461701700646&page=1&tbnh=156&tbnw=109&start=0&ndsp=24&ved=1t:429,r:3,s:0){kind=link}